The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
You're not the girl you think you are, no no
They're not his shoes under your bed, yeah yeah
He'll take you places in his car
That you won't forget, no
All the people that you know, yeah
Will turn their heads as you go by
But you'll be hard to recognise
With the top down and the wind blowing, blowing
He won't deceive you but tell you the truth
Woman, he'll be no trouble
He won't write you letters full of excuses
C'mon, I believe you have one in a million
You're not the girl you think you are, yeah
There's someone standing in your place
The bathroom mirror makes you look tall,
But it's all in your head, in your head
He won't deceive you he'll tell you the truth
Woman, he'll be no trouble
He won't write you letters full of excuses
C'mon, I believe you have one in a million
He won't deceive you but tell you the truth
C'mon, I believe you have one
You're not the girl you think you are
C'mon I believe you have one
You're not the girl you think you are
C'mon I believe you have one
You're not the girl you think you are
They're not his shoes under your bed, yeah yeah
He'll take you places in his car
That you won't forget, no
All the people that you know, yeah
Will turn their heads as you go by
But you'll be hard to recognise
With the top down and the wind blowing, blowing
He won't deceive you but tell you the truth
Woman, he'll be no trouble
He won't write you letters full of excuses
C'mon, I believe you have one in a million
You're not the girl you think you are, yeah
There's someone standing in your place
The bathroom mirror makes you look tall,
But it's all in your head, in your head
He won't deceive you he'll tell you the truth
Woman, he'll be no trouble
He won't write you letters full of excuses
C'mon, I believe you have one in a million
He won't deceive you but tell you the truth
C'mon, I believe you have one
You're not the girl you think you are
C'mon I believe you have one
You're not the girl you think you are
C'mon I believe you have one
You're not the girl you think you are
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OP, lyrics are "he won't decieve you OR tell you the truth", NOT "he won't decieve you HE'LL tell you the truth"
wow, I took the exact opposite meaning to the two posters before me :)) I think it's beautiful and amazing and a POSITIVE song about love.
As in a girl who has a man and but whilst on the outside everything is amazing/perfect, (he treats her well, she enjoys being with him etc...) in quiet moments, she secretly doubts him and his feelings towards her, maybe even doubts the reality of love itself, and she definately doesn't believe that anything, especially something for her, can be this perfect. (Maybe she's been hurt before or is just naturally doubtful of love/super protective of her real heart.) ...And the singers saying, you know, maybe for once, what you see is what you get, you CAN read this book by it's cover, he has no hidden agenda, everything he says/does for you simply IS because he loves you.
"Youre not the girl you think you are" = you're not this cold, empty bitch who doesn't believe in love/or at least him; it's just a front you put up to protect yourself.
"He won't deceive you or tell you the truth" = he won't lie to you about the big things, and he won't say unnecessary truths just for the sake of hurting you ie. "does my bum look big in this?" "no, of course not, honey"
"c'mon, believe you have one in a million" = it's okay to love, to let down your guard, to give this relationship with this boy a chance:))!
I love the line "He won't deceive you or tell you the truth" with its seeming contradiction.<br /> <br /> It's like it's saying he'll tell you lies, and you will know he's lying, but you'll pretend you don't.<br /> <br /> To me this song seems to be about a girl who has found a "good catch", but in order to make the relationship work she has to act like she's a different person.<br /> <br /> The singer is telling her that she deserves better, she can find someone whom she can be herself with, not someone she has to pretend isn't lying to her.<br /> <br />
It's about watching someone lie to herself and convince herself things are perfect when they obviously aren't. The speaker doesn't seem to approve of the relationship-- I always thought the line was "he won't deceive you OR tell you the truth" (a quick Google comparison search was inconclusive), which seems to perfectly sum up the way someone can manipulate and mislead another person without entirely lying to them.
The speaker seems a little spiteful, sarcastically telling the girl to "believe [she has] one in a million" when he clearly thinks otherwise. It could almost be read as if the speaker is the girl's ex and is jealously criticizing her new relationship.
OP, lyrics are "he won't decieve you OR tell you the truth", NOT "he won't decieve you HE'LL tell you the truth"<br /> <br /> <br /> wow, I took the exact opposite meaning to the two posters before me<br /> :)) I think it's beautiful and amazing and a POSITIVE song about love.<br /> <br /> As in a girl who has a man and but whilst on the outside everything is amazing/perfect, (he treats her well, she enjoys being with him etc...) in quiet moments, she secretly doubts him and his feelings towards her, maybe even doubts the reality of love itself, and she definately doesn't believe that anything, especially something for her, can be this perfect.<br /> (Maybe she's been hurt before or is just naturally doubtful of love/super protective of her real heart.) ...And the singers saying, you know, maybe for once, what you see is what you get, you CAN read this book by it's cover, he has no hidden agenda, everything he says/does for you simply IS because he loves you.<br /> <br /> --------------<br /> <br /> "Youre not the girl you think you are" = you're not this cold, empty bitch who doesn't believe in love/or at least him; it's just a front you put up to protect yourself.<br /> <br /> "He won't deceive you or tell you the truth" = he won't lie to you about the big things, and he won't say unnecessary truths just for the sake of hurting you ie. "does my bum look big in this?" "no, of course not, honey"<br /> <br /> "c'mon, believe you have one in a million" = it's okay to love, to let down your guard, to give this relationship with this boy a chance:))!
@fromadistantsun Agree with your thoughts. The song has a melancholy sound to it... doesn't sit well for a positive love song.
I think it’s about a woman who thinks she is more special to someone than she is. She thinks he is into her and he knows he is not; eg ‘not his shoes under your bed’” and “it’s all in your head.”
He is in a committed relationship anyway, hence the words, “there is another standing in your place”. He is declaring/protesting that he hasn’t lead her on despite her wrong perceptions, eg “I won’t deceive you but tell you the truth”. Because she is not special to him (the bathroom mirror makes you look tall) like she thinks she is he is trying to convey to her the reality that he is not going to contact her, eg “he won’t letters full of excuses”. This would have been written in the late 80's or early to mid 90's.
@c786813 I left out the word 'write'. Just add it. Also the words "he won't write letters full of excuses" could also have deeper meaning than he isn't going to contact her. It could also be a declaration that he doesn't need to apologise or justify his position,
I think it\'s to do with the fact that when you fall for someone you usually change part of yourself to suit them, this girl has changed to suit the man. \"He won\'t deceive you\" shows her gullibility, that he is that special \"one in a million\". Also, the second verse saying that her friends \"will turn their heads\" accounts for her change and that people see her as fake now or too different to from who she use to be. Great song.
Er, not to be a complete cynic but is not about a girl whose boyfriend is made up in her head to impress her friends and it's starting to get a bit out of hand.
"They're not his shoes under your bed," -Because he doesn't exist.
"He won't decieve you or tell you the truth" -Well he can't because he doesn't exist.
And the part involving the places he'll take her in his car and the fact that "... hard to recognise with the top down and the wind blowing.." - she's told a story about being taken somewhere and one of her friends has been in that place and not seen her.
But don't get me wrong it's a great wee tune
Is he saying the girl is being duped, not necessarily by the man but by the fact she is living a lie of some sort, convincing herself that she is her true self in a relationship not entirely right for her. Maybe she pretends to be in love, but really isn't.
@delia17601... pretend is not the right word, more thinks she is in love.
I always thought it was about a girl thinking a man loves her more than he does when he’s i actually in a relationship with some one else. So I thought the song was about ‘the other woman’ I guess, but a vulnerable one who believes he will leave his wife/partner for her.
“He’ll take you places in his car that you won’t forget” = she’s reading into every tiny morsel that he gives her.
People she knows turning a blind eye to the relationship - it’s easier to pretend it’s not happening than to hurt either woman. It’s also embarrassing for them as they can see plainly what’s going on.
“He won’t deceive you” - the classic ‘you-knew-I-was-married’ eg. “Or tell you the truth” - that he’s using her
“He’ll be no trouble” - he will be the unscathed party when it all comes crashing down, as he plays the part of innocent.
“He won’t write you letters full of excuses” - he is really just using her and talking advantage of her devotion to him, he doesn’t have to make any effort because she is creating the story that he loves her and they are star-crossed lovers/ he’s trapped in his marriage, so she’s doing all the work for him by explaining things away in her head - he doesn’t even have to bother writing letters full of excuses.
The bathroom mirror makes you look tall (she can believe they’re not doing anything wrong).
Not the girl you think you are - essentially he doesn’t love her, she’s being used, she’s only fooling herself by believing he is something other than a cheating bastard. ????
The first part of the song is confusing. She’s had men leave her and break her heart. But I think she’s finally found the one, and she’s afraid that she’s going to lose another man again. She just has to relax, let go, and be herself because this man could finally be the one.